Hiding In Plain Sight
by I'm-Glitchy
Summary: **Set after the show. Sam, Danny, and Tucker are seventeen. Phantom Planet never happened.** When a strange new girl arrives in Amity Park, Danny knows something is up. Is she dangerous? What secrets does she hold? How does she know about ghosts, and why is she all alone? This may go deeper than Sam, Tuck, or even Danny thought it ever could.
1. Chance Encounter

**A/N: Hey! So, I'm unsure how long this is going to turn out. I know it'll be more than a couple chapters. This is basically just based off some ideas I've had floating around in my head for a while. Just know before going into this that I'm not positive how it's going to pan out. I'm sort of just winging it with this one. Updates will most likely be a bit erratic. **

**_Important note- This is based after the show. Danny, Sam, and Tucker are seventeen years old, and juniors in High School. Phantom Planet never happened, so only Sam, Tucker and Jazz know Danny Phantom's identity. He still strives to hide his secret from his parents and the town._**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

So, this was Amity Park.

It was nothing like she'd imagined it'd be. From what she'd heard about this place—this ghost infested, oddity of a town— she'd been picturing green skies, citizens cowering in fear, specters flying about and cackling.

Now that she was here, though, it was painfully apparent that she'd been way off. In fact, this place seemed like a nice little community. The sky was bright, the trees were green, and the kids were smiling. People walked down the street without fear, children played in parks, and birds chirped as they flew by. Most notable, was the absence of any spirit wreaking havoc. From the stories that were told all around the country of this place, she'd expected there to be a constant malevolent presence. She saw nothing, though. And, more importantly, she _felt _nothing.

The girl's eyes flickered about as she gripped the strap running across her torso, the satchel it was attached to bouncing against her hip. The bag wasn't a fashion statement, it held all of her prized possessions. And 'prized possessions', really meant 'only possessions'.

The leather pouch held a few meager items— an iPod with a cracked screen, a pair of plain headphones, a wallet containing $46, and some chap-stick. Everything else were things she considered essential: a toothbrush, a comb, a switchblade, and a copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It was her favorite book, though she couldn't tell you why it appealed to her so much, it just did, and she had read it a million times.

With the life she had, one would think she got enough of monsters in the real world, and yet she buried her nose in the old pages whenever she got the chance. Most who hadn't read the book considered the creation the monster, but one read through and it became apparent Dr. Frankenstein was the one to fear. Nothing that happened was the creatures fault. He was simply a victim of circumstance—alone, confused, thrown into a terrifying world that would never understand him…

Okay, maybe she _did _know why she liked that particular novel so much.

_"Maybe nighttime is when things start to pick up around here." _The girl thought to herself.

If that was the case, she needed to find a place where she could lay low and rest. She'd come here to stay off the ghost radar—as crazy as that sounded—and the last thing she needed was for a spook to try and…well, spook her.

She shook the thought from her head, coming out of her mind as she focused back on her surroundings. She really needed to learn to stop spacing out like that! For being on the run as long as she'd been, you'd think she'd of learned these types of things already. But she was barely seventeen—just a kid on her own—and she still had a lot to learn. Living like this was harder than she was willing to admit, to herself or anyone else, and lately she was constantly having to shove down a growing fear that the name she'd chosen for herself might always be fitting.

After all, Stray didn't want to be a stray forever.

* * *

After a while of wandering in an attempt to acclimate herself to the layout of the town, Stray found herself outside the local High School. It was nearly 3:00pm, which meant the final bell would be ringing soon, and kids around her age would be pouring out of the building before her.

The girl couldn't stop herself from chuckling as she read the big, bold letters on the front of the place. Casper High. If it was a coincidence, it was a funny one, and if it wasn't, well…then these people didn't take ghosts as seriously as they should. Stray herself took specters very seriously, perhaps even taking it a bit too far in certain instances. It's not like there was anyone around to be bothered by this quirk of hers, and as far as she was concerned, it was better that way.

-At least, that's what she told herself.

Turning her thoughts elsewhere as she waited, Stray began thinking back on when she'd gone to school. It felt like an eternity, though in reality it hadn't been that long ago that she'd had a normal life.

Just as the girl was getting lost in old memories, a shrill sound cut the air, making her jump and effectively pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced up from where she'd been leaning on a tree to see the front doors burst open as a wave of teens flowed from the building. Most hurried to meet their friends on the school's lawn, others nearly ran to their cars, hoping to get out of the parking lot without having to fight the traffic. She was surrounded by chatter and laughter in seconds flat, and soon she was straightening, ears perked and eyes raking through the crowd.

Stray told herself she was here in hopes of over hearing a conversation that would give her a better understanding of just how bad the ghost issue was here, if it was worth it for her to stick around, or if there was any place she'd be able to hunker down in—maybe an empty warehouse by the pier, or an old, abandoned home. But the real part of her knew why she'd actually been drawn to the High School. After all, why would teenagers be discussing anything that would be of use to her? No, she'd come here simply to be around those like her. Well, not _just _like her, obviously. More like, what she _used to _be like. A normal teen, living a normal life, with a normal family, and a normal home. It was just…nice to know she could still blend with a crowd, no matter how different she felt on the inside.

For a moment she forgot about everything—the ghosts, the fear, the pain, the running—and she drifted through the crowd of kids, not getting a second glance or an odd stare, and she was the calmest she'd been in a long time.

That is, until she was pulled out of it when she dazedly stepped into the path of someone coming down the school's front steps.

Whoever it was, they were unable to catch themselves in time, and in their attempt, practically fell off the step and into Stray. As their bodies connected, the girl instinctively tried to move back, but that plus the momentum had her falling backwards onto her butt.

She cringed, exhaling as she settled on the ground, lifting her hands and brushing them off on each other. She winced slightly as a stinging sensation shot through her palms. Looking down, she saw a tiny trickle of blood slipping out of a scrape on the heel of her right palm. Luckily the damage wasn't bad, just a little cut—no big deal.

Man, she really needed to watch where she was going. She'd stepped right in front of that guy.

She looked up just in time to see a boy, holding a hand to his head, eyes closed and mouth open like he was about to lay into her for running into him.

"Hey, watch—"

His words cut off the moment he opened his eyes and his blue hues landed on Stray. She looked up at him from where she'd fallen to the ground, an apologetic and slightly strained expression on her face. Her eyes panned over to the others by his side—a girl in a plaid skirt and purple tights, and a guy in glasses and a red beret—before moving back to him.

The dark haired boy simply blinked at her for a moment, before shaking his head and moving forward. He bent a bit, holding out a hand, which got Stray moving. Instead of taking the offered appendage, she pushed herself up, taking a step back once she did and adjusting her bag. She clasped her hands behind her back, hoping it hadn't come off as rude that she hadn't accepted the help. It was nothing against him, she just wasn't super comfortable with being touched by strangers.

The eyes of him and his friends followed her as she stood and brushed herself off, and she stared back, feeling a bit awkward and unsure what to do. The girl rose a brow, glancing to the boy with glasses, they shared a look, and he shrugged a bit.

"Uh—sorry. Didn't see you there." The ebony haired boy got her attention again, and she turned her eyes back to him, one side of her mouth turned up to assure him it was no big deal.

"No, no. That was on me. Totally my fault. I should watch where I'm going."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." He didn't seem hostile, but he wasn't smiling. He had an odd expression on his face as he continued to stare at her. Apparently he didn't usually act this way, because his companions seemed as confused as Stray was. Before an awkward silence had a chance to stretch out, the girl stepped up, smiling.

"Excuse him, it's been a long day. I'm Sam Manson. I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Um—yeah. I'm sorta new in town. I was just scoping things out. You know, trying to see where everything is." It wasn't a lie, she was just leaving things out.

"We figured." The second boy spoke up, smiling at her as well. "Everyone knows most of the faces around here, and we don't get many new ones on account of our reputation."

"You mean the ghost thing?"

"Exactly." He stepped closer to her then, offering a hand, his expression changing slightly. "I'm Tucker. Tucker Foley. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Who might you be?"

Sam rolled her eyes at that, and Stray realized Tucker was trying to flirt with her. She rose a brow but left it alone. He seemed like the sort of guy who would flirt with most girls.

She glanced down at the offered hand, thinking of an excuse not to shake it, and to avoid giving her name. She held up her right palm—which had already stopped its little amount of bleeding.

"I would shake your hand, but—yeah."

That got the first kid's attention, and he slapped a hand to his forehead. "Oh, jeez. I'm sorry I knocked you over like that. You're bleeding." He seemed embarrassed, but at least he was getting over…whatever had caused him to stare like he'd been doing.

Stray smiled, waving the scrape in the air a bit. "Barely. Look, it's pretty much stopped already. Don't beat yourself up about it."

He removed his hand from his head and peered at her tiny injury, before rubbing the back of his neck. "Still. Sorry."

He was silent for a moment, before perking as if he'd just remembered something.

"I'm Danny, by the way. Danny Fenton. And this is—"

"Sam and Tucker, yeah."

"Right, you know that already."

Danny sent a pointed look to Sam, who must have understood because she started talking.

"I don't think we got your name."

Dammit. They'd been so close to just moving past that. Sighing internally, the girl decided to just give it and get it over with. If they laughed or something, so be it.

"Uh—Stray." She offered, fiddling with her bag. "My name's Stray." She hadn't given her real name to anyone since she'd been on the run, and that wasn't changing now.

That gave them all pause, Sam opening her mouth as if to say something before shutting it again. The girl was uncomfortable, and expecting a reaction Sam was sure she had to of gotten before, so instead of saying anything about how it was unusual or how it couldn't be her real name, she simply crossed her arms over her chest and smirked.

"That's…unusual. I like it." Of course a Goth chick liked the name Stray.

She smiled at the response, having been expecting questions or accusations about how that couldn't be her name. It was a welcome change, and Stray nodded.

"Thanks." She was sure they knew it was just some sort of nickname, but the fact they didn't push was appreciated.

"So, are you going to be going to school here?" Tucker asked, jabbing a thumb back over his shoulder toward the entrance to the school.

Stray looked up at the building, remembering how she'd hated the year of high school she'd attended before everything changed. It was ironic, how she longed for it now. Eight hour days with the biggest concern being homework, and dances, and jerks in the hallways. Now she had to deal with jerks of the ecto variety, which definitely sucked a lot more.

"I'm…not sure." Stray answered slowly.

All three of them quirked a brow, Danny speaking the immediate question on all their minds.

"But this is the only high school in town."

Right, it was odd for a seventeen year old to not be in school.

"What I mean is, my mom might want to homeschool me. I've had…issues with public school in the past." The fib slipped off her tongue easily. Though she hated having so many secrets, being able to lie convincingly was a handy skill. The trio bought it right away, they had no reason not to.

"Homeschooling. I can't imagine being cooped up in my house with my parents all day. Maybe you can convince her to let you come here. Casper's a pretty good school. There are bullies, and cliques, but it's no worse than any other public school. Besides, you seem like you can take care of yourself." Danny responded, putting his hands in his pockets.

Stray nodded along. "Maybe. I don't know. She's sorta over protective." Lie, lie, lie, lie. Lying never made her feel good, but for some reason it turned her stomach even more while talking to these three. Maybe it was because they were making such an attempt to be friendly, or maybe it was the fact they were her age.

Being with other kids was a rare thing for her nowadays, and she hadn't had a normal conversation like this in a long, long time. It felt awesome to be able to just talk and forget for a second, but having to make up things about parents she didn't even have brought her back to her harsh reality.

Her thoughts must have manifested in a look on her face, because Sam was suddenly apologizing.

"We don't mean to pry, Stray. Like we said, new people don't come here often."

The Goth wanted to ask why her family had moved here in the first place. If her mother was over-protective, then why come to a place that was infested with ghosts? She held her tongue though, feeling as if the girl was hiding something but keeping it to herself. It was none of her business, and Stray didn't seem like any sort of threat.

"No, it's fine. Just…complicated." Stray assured, smiling at the girl.

By this time, the front of the school was beginning to clear out. Parents picking up the last of the waiting kids, friends saying goodbye as they began their walks home. Stray glanced around, before turning back to Sam, Tucker, and Danny.

"I should…probably get going." She told them, gesturing behind her in no particular direction.

"We're going to Danny's. If you're going the same way, you could walk with us." Tucker offered, pointing down the street.

The offer was tempting. _Really _tempting. The fact that these three would welcome her to spend any amount of time with them made her heart twist in a strange way she hadn't felt in a while, and yet she found herself shaking her head.

"Nah. Thanks for the offer, though. I think I'm going to wander around a little more."

Tucker lowered his hand, a little frown on his face, and shrugged. "Okay. I guess we'll see you around then. You will be around, right?"

"Yeah. This place isn't too big, I'm sure I'll run into you guys again." She glanced at Danny. "Hopefully not literally next time." He cracked a smile at that, though he still seemed embarrassed.

"Who knows? Maybe mom will cave and I'll end up in class with you." Like that was going to happen. No way she could come to this school. She was on the run and here to lay low, not to pick up where she left off with her education.

"Well, see ya."

She lifted a hand and waved, before turning to leave. She only made it a couple steps before feeling a hand on her shoulder. Stray tried not to tense at the contact, and before she could even wonder what was going on, she was turned back around and Danny was holding something out to her. It took her a moment to realize what it was, but when she did, she took it from him, glancing down at it before looking back up at him.

It was a band aid. A white band aid with green ghosts printed on it.

"For your hand." Danny told her, pointing to his own right palm.

Oh! Right, of course.

"Sorry about the weird print. It's from my house and well…parents."

"…Thanks, Danny."

He nodded, turning around to rejoin Sam and Tucker, who both waved at her before starting off down the sidewalk.

Stray turned as well, heading the way she was before the boy stopped her. As she walked, she peeled off the back of the bandage, and carefully applied it over the small scrape. It wasn't even bleeding anymore, and she doubted it would get infected, but she felt the need to use it after Danny's nice gesture.

As she left the trio behind, she found herself hoping she really did run into them again. They were nice, and they didn't question her name or treat her like a freak. That was more than she could say for most people who stumbled upon her.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the girl went back to business. She needed to find somewhere she could stay, so she'd have a safe place to sleep at night. She began moving toward the docks, hoping to find some sort of abandoned building.

Stray could already tell it was going to be a long night.


	2. The Ghost Boy

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews on my first chapter! I really wasn't expecting any follows or anything, let alone people taking the time to tell me they like it. I really, really appreciate it. When I get feedback, it gives me the motivation I need to write and update, so please review if you have anything to say after reading this new chapter! Constructive criticism (as long as it's polite) is just as welcome as praise and ideas.**

**Hope you guys like where this is going!**

* * *

"Think we'll see her again?" Tucker questioned as they made their way to Fenton Works. He was, of course, referring to Stray.

"She said we would, but I don't know. She seems sort of…flighty."

"Yeah, she's different, definitely. And I'm not sure it's in a good way. What do you think, Danny?"

When his question was met with silence, Tucker and Sam turned to look at their friend. He was keeping pace with them fine, but he seemed spacy, like he was lost in his mind somewhere. Tucker and Sam shared a look, before the former shrugged, and tried again.

"Hey, Danny. You listening?" Tuck reached out to nudge the other boy, who jerked slightly before looking between his friends and blinking.

"...Sorry. What are we talking about?"

His friends both quirked a brow, wondering what it was that had him so distracted, though they had a vague idea. Neither of them knew why he'd stared at Stray the way he had after stumbling into her. It was a behavior that was unlike Danny.

"Dude, what's up with you? Is it some ghost thing? Did your sense go off when you bumped into Stray?"

That had Sam jumping in, speaking fast. "Did it? Is she a ghost?"

"No. No!" Danny answered quickly, holding up his hands. "My ghost sense didn't make a peep while we were talking to her."

"Then what is it?" Tucker asked, halting his steps and turning to face him fully.

Sam followed suit, as curious as Tucker.

Danny just sighed, stopping and rubbing a hand down his face. "It's nothing for you guys to be worried about. I'm just tired. I _have _been out fighting ghosts most nights, remember? Whatever I noticed about Stray isn't important."

"So you did notice something about her." Sam mused, finger moving to her chin in a contemplative manner. "What was it?" She figured it _had _to be a ghost thing, considering her and Tucker hadn't felt anything to strange about the girl.

"I don't know!" He answered, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation. He continued walking, moving past Sam and Tucker, who shared a worried look before hurrying to catch up.

"Dude. If something's going on, you should tell us."

"Guys." Danny groaned, gripping the straps of his backpack. He didn't want to talk about this with them, because he didn't really have a clue himself. His ghost sense had stayed quiet, that was true, but there was something about the girl he'd knocked over that had made him feel…weird. And it _had _to have something to do with his ghost half. If it didn't, Sam and Tucker would've noticed it too.

He let himself cave, though, knowing if he didn't the two of them would pester him about it until he did.

"It's probably nothing. I just sensed something…off about her. But it was different than anything I've ever felt before. She's definitely not a ghost though. I would've known right away."

"What's it feel like? The 'off' part of her, I mean." Sam asked, simply becoming more curious.

"It wasn't just a part of her. It was _all _of her. And that's the thing, I'm not sure. I know it stems from my ghost half, but other than that…" He thought for a moment, on what it had felt like. He'd been staring because he was unsure what her presence was doing to him, and it confused him. Laying eyes on her had slapped him in the face with the new sense, and he hadn't known what to do.

"It was like…like I was being drawn to her or something."

Tucker let out a short chuckle at that, and Danny's brow knit.

"What?" He muttered, irritated.

"Are you sure you just don't have a crush, dude?"

Sam scoffed. "Oh yeah, that's it. He knocked her over and without knowing anything about her at all, he's suddenly in love."

Tucker shrugged. "Haven't you ever heard of love at first sight?"

The halfa rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, right. Quit kidding around Tuck. Feelings like that wouldn't be making me so…uneasy."

That wiped the boy's smile away, quickly being replaced by a concerned expression.

"Uneasy. Do you think she's dangerous?"

Sam pursed her lips. Stray was odd, sure, but she hadn't seemed dangerous. A little lost maybe, but she'd talked to them and had seemed perfectly stable.

"No…maybe…I don't know." Danny sighed heavily, hanging his head slightly. He'd been taken off guard by her; that was all. Next time they saw her—if they ever even did—he'd be prepared. She wasn't a ghost, and she'd been nothing but nice so far. He didn't want to brand an innocent girl as a threat for no reason.

"Whatever. It's done. If she turns out to be a threat, I'll take care of it like I always do. Otherwise, let's just chalk it up to a weird feeling and move on."

Sam and Tucker nodded, and eventually the conversation drifted to typical things—which for them, included ghost hunting—until they reached Fenton Works.

While his friends were there, Danny focused on them, making sure to stop his thoughts from wandering too far. Once they had left, though, he found himself in his room, sitting on his bed and staring out the window.

Why _did _he feel that strange draw to that strange girl? He knew it wasn't a crush—he could tell when he was developing feelings for someone—but it would be a whole lot simpler if it was. This uneasy feeling was making is stomach turn, and he barely ate at dinner, resolving in his head to go out on patrol once everyone had gone to bed.

Flying usually helped to clear his head, especially on nights like this when the air was fresh and cool. Yeah, a nice flight was all he needed to get over this. Stray was just a girl—an unusual one, but a regular human all the same.

"She's just a normal human." The boy muttered to himself once he'd retreated to his room after dinner.

But no matter how hard he tried to convince himself of that fact, there was still a nagging in the back of his brain, telling him it was untrue. He couldn't shake the thought that this strange feeling was a prelude to something else—something much more sinister than a normal, human girl.

* * *

In retrospect, wandering the streets of a town known for its ghost problem in the middle of the night probably hadn't been the best idea. She'd just been so _bored_, and her insomnia wasn't allowing her sleep. She'd figured a walk might calm her racing mind—make it easier to relax and get some rest.

What she _hadn't _counted on, was for a specter to phase out of a wall the moment she drew near. And right when she was starting to hurry back to the dank and empty building she'd huddled down in. She'd been hit with that feeling that she didn't have a name for—the one that told her one of those things she feared was about to show up, and in a her worry, she'd all but started running down the street. Not fast enough, though, and she nearly skidded to a halt, stopping short at the sight a shape blacker than the night oozing from the side of a building.

Her eyes widened, and though she knew she should be running in the other direction, she stayed rooted to the spot, as if being still would prevent the thing from spotting her. Back home, Stray had been known as the fearless one. Even as a small child, she'd done things the other kids were too scared to even attempt—climbing the tallest trees, riding the biggest rollercoasters. And it had carried on as she grew older, through junior high and her first year of high school. She'd never been afraid of talking back to the teachers, of breaking the rules or getting in trouble. Her lack of fear had led to her becoming something of a delinquent. It had caused a lot of trouble for her parents, trouble she regretted now…

Ghosts though—ghosts were something that had started out as a casual interest, eventually evolving into something else entirely. There was nothing on this planet that Stray feared more than ghosts. She couldn't be her usual tough, independent, fun-loving self in their presence. It was almost as if they drained her resolve away—she had no quips, no threats for the creatures, only wide eyes and panicked thoughts.

It was only when the thing emerged fully onto the street and noticed her that she was able to move at all, and she clenched her fists, taking a step back as the things green eyes raked over her. For a moment she thought that the specter may just pass her up, that it had caused enough mayhem for the night and had no interest in messing with some teenager. She hoped and prayed in that moment that it would simply just fly away…but they never did.

The shadow grinned, pointed teeth glinting in the dim illumination of the street lamps, and then Stray was off, running away from it as fast as she could manage. She'd dealt with threats before—punks in alleys, jerks on the bus—but when the situation involved ghosts, she'd never been able to do anything more than get away. It wasn't just that she was too petrified, she was nearly helpless in comparison to all the crazy powers they had, and it wasn't like it was easy to get her hands on any of those fancy ecto-weapons she'd heard about. So she ran, as she always did.

This time though, it wasn't going to be good enough.

Her attempt to get away just seemed to excite the vile thing, and before she knew it, it was zooming after her. A black blur approached rapidly from behind and suddenly she was on the ground, lying on her stomach, struggling to breathe. The damn shadow had shoved her down, hard enough to knock the wind from her lungs. She gasped for breath, coughing as she regained it and raising herself to her hands and knees. Stray was very away of the ghost floating in front of her, staring down at her with a wild grin and a malevolent glint in its eye.

The girl lifted her head, looking up at it with an expression of terror painted on her face. Her obvious fear only seemed to make the shadow more gleeful.

Stray pushed her hands against the ground, shoving herself up so she could make another escape attempt, but before she was even up, a wisp grew out of the ghosts body, reaching over and pressing against her back, forcing her back onto the ground and keeping her there a second before retracting a bit.

Stray made another attempt to get up, and the thing did it again, and again, and again—like the specter was playing with her. If the look on its face was anything to go by, it was having the time of its life, pushing around its new toy.

"Q-quit it!" She demanded, voice shaky.

To the girl's surprise, the pressure on her back disappeared and didn't come back. Was it…listening to her? Just as Stray was about to look up and see what was going on, the wisp coming from the shadows body reached out again, this time wrapping fully around her waist and lifting her from the ground.

She gasped, letting out a little yelp, placing her hands on the solid darkness and pushing, straining against the tight grip around her, struggling to get away. It seemed the thing had tired of its game, and though she hadn't thought it was possible, Stray was even more terrified than she'd been a moment ago. Actually being in these things _grip _was almost more than she could handle, and though she knew it was futile, she couldn't stop herself from wriggling and fighting to get it to release her.

"Put me down, put me down!" She nearly shouted, trying to sound menacing and failing miserably. She stopped herself from adding in a 'please'. For as petrified as she was of ghosts, she had never once begged one for anything. And she never would. She doubted it would make any sort of difference anyway. Every specter she'd ever encountered or heard of was pure evil, reveling in the pain and suffering of others. She refused to give a single one the satisfaction of seeing her pathetic and groveling.

So she demanded, trying to draw from the reservoir of red-hot anger that lied under the thick layer of fear. She mustered up a weak glare, a fraction of her anger snaking to the surface.

"Leave me alone." She muttered lowly. The thing gave a low chuckle, tightening the tendril around her waist, making it hard for her to breathe.

"S-stop!"

Just as Stray was thinking her ribs might break, a voice from above took the specters attention away from her.

"Hey, gruesome! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

The creature growled, malicious smile changing to an expression of disdain. It recognized whoever was yelling at it.

Green eyes moved from the new arrival to the girl caught like a fly in a web, and slowly, those glinting teeth were revealed again as the ghost formulated a plan.

Stray was turned around— methodically, purposefully— before being tilted slightly so her view was to the night sky.

That was when she saw who it was who'd stepped in on her behalf.

A ghost. Another ghost.

Snow white hair, glowing green eyes, floating in the air above the street with his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a _jumpsuit _of all things, with a fancy looking 'D' printed on the front.

His eyes met hers briefly, and in that moment the girl could've sworn she saw…surprise?

Before Stray could even begin to contemplate why that look had flashed across the ghosts face, or why he had shouted at the shadow, she was being pulled backwards, toward the specters body.

She felt her back press against its shape, and then she felt it beginning to move— forming to the shape of her body, moving and molding around her, drawing her _inside _its darkness. Her eyes reflected her horror, and she moved to scream, but before she got a peep out, her mouth was covered. Her wide, fearful eyes caught the ghost boy's expression—one of shock quickly turning to determination— before she disappeared into the blackness of the cackling shadow.

After that…well, needless to say, Stray didn't have a very good idea of what was going on outside the blackness. If one of her worst nightmares weren't coming true in this moment, she would've been able to hear the shouts from outside.

She felt slight things through the body around her— a poke here, a prod there. If she weren't in such a state of utter panic, she would wonder if they were attacks from the battle no doubt taking place. But she was panicking, kicking and screaming and fighting against the utter darkness around her— actions which eventually faded to her curling into fetal position and muttering to herself, trying to keep herself calm.

It was so dark. So, _so _dark. Stray _hated _the dark.

It was nowhere close to her fear of ghosts, it was usually just something that put her on edge and made her jumpy. But _this _darkness? This utter blackness that was darker than the night? It twisted her mind after only being concealed in it for seconds.

She lost track of time while trapped inside the shadow. It could've been minutes or hours— she really had no idea— but after some time had passed, the dark around her slowly began to ebb.

It was painfully slow at first, and if Stray had the strength of mind after the torture of the shadow, she would've tried to claw her way to freedom.

But she didn't.

Her terror had drained her, and so she simply cracked her eyes open, wondering what was happening. A bright stream of light fell across her eyes, and it was only when she felt fresh air blowing against her face that she realized the shadow was receding from her.

She gulped in the air, squinting against what she now recognized as artificial light, and began her squirming.

Then, suddenly and all at once, the blackness was gone—dissolved— and Stray was falling through the open air.

Her auburn hair streamed above her, obscuring her vision of the stars as she fell back first toward the ground. She barely had time to register that her life was in danger before she jerked to a halt, landing in what felt like someone's arms. But that couldn't be. She up off the ground, how would someone catch her?

Unless…

Stray's eyes snapped open, the fogginess the darkness had caused to descend upon her brain being cut through with fresh fear. Her gaze travelled to the side, until they landed on a pair of unnatural glowing green hues.

"Are you okay?" The ghost boy asked in a concerned and serious tone. He was a bit worse for wear— arm bleeding, dirt smudged on his face, white hair unruly.

Stray just stared back, looking like a deer caught in the headlights of someone about to run her over.

He must've thought this was a result of what she'd just been through because the worry in his expression increased.

"Oh, jeez. Are you in shock? Do ya need to go to the hospital? It didn't hurt you too bad, did it?" He blinked at her, waiting for an answer to any of his questions.

The girl heard the questions but paid them no mind. She'd fallen out of one ghost, _literally_, only to fall into the hands of another. Once her mind had caught up with the situation, it began screaming at her to make him let go— to get on the ground so she could get away.

And so the only response the ghost boy received was struggling. Stray put a hand on his chest, pushing and trying to wriggle her way out of his arms, not caring how far up off the ground they were.

"H-hey!" He protested, tightening his grip carefully to make sure she didn't fall. "Quit it! You're gonna get hurt! Just give me a second, alright?"

Quickly, he floated down, setting the girl on her feet the moment his own met the ground. He didn't want her thinking he was trying to kidnap her or anything. She seemed pretty freaked about what had just happened, which wasn't surprising. After all, Stray was new to town, and Danny had no reason to believe she had any experience with ghost attacks. It could be pretty traumatizing if you weren't used to it. But why had 13's shadow gone after her in the first place, and where was Johnny? Usually if the shadow was around, the biker wasn't far behind.

Danny was just happy he'd been able to figure out how to switch the lights in the school's football stadium on without Tucker's help. Otherwise, he might not have been able to stop the spook without hurting the girl it'd been carrying inside of it.

Danny glanced around, making sure everything was clear.

"Don't worry, it's gone and it won't be back." At least not for a while. "You should be fine now. Are you sure you don't want me to take you…to the…hospital…?"

His eyes widened as he turned and saw the girl backing away, eyeing him like he was some sort of wild animal that was going to pounce at any moment.

She was…afraid of him?

Danny supposed he should be used to it by now— what with him having these powers for three years— but it had been a long time since anyone had looked at him with _that _sort of fear. It was almost primal, like the emotion came from her core instincts. Everyone in Amity Park had become pretty accustomed to him, and though many still didn't trust him, nobody was really terrified of him anymore. He was disliked by some (like his parents for instance), but a lot of people had come to like him and think of him as a hero.

It almost turned his stomach to see the girl him and his friends had been having a nice conversation with only hours before look at him like this.

"Hey…hey, it's okay." He muttered, trying to be as soothing as he could and taking a step toward her. That was a mistake, apparently, because the slight movement had her turning on her heel and taking off in the other direction, away from him.

"Wait!" He called after her. He didn't pursue though, knowing that would only scare her more. But he was concerned. Had that thing hurt her? It'd had her pretty beat when he's heard her cry and come flying in to help. What was she doing out here this late all on her own?

And, underneath it all, there was still that strange feeling he got from her. The draw that called him to her.

These things were reason enough for him to make up his mind, and he was jumping into the air before she was out of the school's parking lot. He'd follow her discreetly, an invisible guardian as she made her way home— or wherever she was going. He doubted she'd run into two ghosts at night, but he had to be sure.

If the shadow had come after her like that, something had to be going on.

And Danny fully intended to find out exactly what that was.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Next chapter. I keep thinking of little details to add in and now I'm getting excited. Anyway, hope this chapter is enjoyable.**

* * *

When Stray finally made it back to her makeshift home near the pier, she was trembling—and not just from the cold night air. She'd faced ghosts before, even been attacked by the, but this encounter had left her more shaken than she'd been in a long, long time.

The girl made her way to the corner of the warehouse where she'd left her stuff, practically falling into a sitting position once she got there. She grabbed her bag, leaning against the wall as she dug through it, eventually yanking out a flashlight and setting it before her, flicking it on. The dim illumination gave way to a bit of relief, making it that much easier to shake off the trauma she'd just experienced.

Stray didn't spare a thought on how leaving the light on would deplete the batteries—she could always get more once the sun came up. Usually she'd just deal with the dark, but there was no way she was doing that after that stupid shadow had ambushed her.

She drew her knees to her chest, huddling close to herself, trying to make up for the absence of comfort from another human being—a coping technique she was, unfortunately, all too familiar with.

The lone teen burrowed down into her jacket as much as she could, cursing herself under her breath for not getting herself a blanket in preparation for the cold.

After only being in this town a day, she was already beginning to have second thoughts. Maybe the theories about this place were wrong—maybe what she was looking for wasn't here after all. But… that could mean it wasn't anywhere.

No. She couldn't start thinking like that, couldn't allow herself to sink into hopelessness. And she couldn't just leave after coming all this way. There was still a possibility that menacing specter had stumbled across her by pure coincidence. If that was the case, there could still be something for her to gain from being here.

Stray closed her eyes, hugging her arms to herself, still trembling slightly.

…She'd forgotten.

She knew she was afraid of ghosts—that they were her greatest fear—but she'd forgotten just how awful the terror they struck through her really was.

Most people were scared of spirits, and rightfully so. They were unknown and dangerous—of course people were scared of them. But Stray knew her brand of fear was different, unique. And not in a good way.

It was worse. Paralyzing, horrifying. Almost primal. But no one could really blame her—not with her track record with the ectoplasmic nightmares.

That didn't stop her from feeling pathetic though.

And what was up with that ghost boy that had showed up? He'd gotten her out of the other ghost's darkness and stopped her from falling to the ground. What was he playing at, helping her like that? Stray was sure he had some ultimate goal, something to gain for himself from what he had done. Maybe he'd just wanted to mess with her himself, and the shadow had stepped onto his turf.

Yeah, it had to be something like that.

Without opening her eyes, the girl allowed herself to slide down the concrete wall to lay against the hard floor of the building. She turned on her side, curling into fetal position and beginning to succumb to exhaustion. She'd figure things out tomorrow after she'd gotten some rest and she got her head screwed on straight. One thing was certain though, she needed to make more of an effort to stay safe and away from ghosts. That meant no more wandering around the city at night.

Soon, Stray had sunk into a fitful sleep, face scrunched up as she dreamt of the shadow darker than the night and the boy with glowing green eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile—unseen and unknown to the now unconscious girl in the corner—Danny hovered above the ground, invisible and watching.

He was even more confused now than he had been before. She…lived here? What about her family, where were they? She couldn't be on her own…could she?

The thought turned his stomach, and a little frown placed itself firmly on his face. It wasn't safe for a teenage girl to be out on the streets of any town by herself, let alone Amity Park. There were ghouls lurking in the dark corners here—Stray had experienced that tonight. She was just lucky this had been a night he'd opted for patrol instead of sleep, otherwise that shadow would've done god knows what to her.

Danny lowered himself to the floor, landing softly and quietly before allowing himself to become visible again. He crept a bit closer to Stray, peering down at her sleeping form and sighing.

He had to help her.

But how?

She was terrified of Danny Phantom, and Danny Fenton had no way of knowing about any of this. He was just a kid she'd bumped into, one that had no reason to know of her predicament, and therefore no excuse to help her out.

But he _had _to help her. It was his job, and what kind of hero would he be if he ignored a girl in such obvious need?

"What did you get yourself mixed up in?" He questioned quietly, making sure not to wake her but asking the question all the same. Something had to of happened for her to be living on the streets.

Danny lifted his eyes from the girl, torn between wanting to reach out to her—though he knew if she woke up now, she'd no doubt be terrified—and knowing he could do nothing at this moment in time. He didn't feel right flying back home while she was here, curled on the hard floor, but…that was all there was left to do for now. As much as he hated that fact, he knew it was the truth, and so he took a few steps back from Stray, running a hand down his face and kicking off into the air. He floated upwards slowly, one last glance her way giving him an idea.

The halfa went intangible, disappearing through the ceiling, only to be phasing back through it a minute later, items in tow. He flew over to Stray's corner, hovering a few feet above her and laying a blanket carefully over her form, before going to kneel by her head, lifting it gently and sliding a pillow underneath.

The girl stirred just slightly, but settled, burrowing into her new found warmth and pressing her face to the softness of the cushion.

One side of Danny's mouth turned up slightly. He was happy he could at least do _something _for her, no matter how small it was. He'd figure out how he could _really _help her later, when it wasn't the middle of the night and when he didn't have school in the morning—scratch that, in a few hours.

He'd talk to Sam and Tucker about this. Maybe they'd have some ideas.

For now, though, he was phasing through the warehouse ceiling, making his way back home to get what sleep he could before he had to get up.

* * *

"It's like she's homeless or something. Nowhere to stay, no family—not that I could see anyway. And the way she reacted to me after I saved her; I'm telling you guys, it was bizarre."

Sam paused, fork in her salad, to look up at her friend. "You can't exactly blame her for being scared of a ghost kid right after she's just been attacked by a ghost." She pointed out.

"I guess. But there was something…different about it. I almost get the feeling she's dealt with ghosts before."

"From what you've described, I wouldn't rule it out." Tucker added. "I mean, it's not exactly normal for a kid our age to be on her own, especially when she's not capable of taking care of herself. And if she's sleeping in some warehouse, then she isn't."

"If that's true, than you need to be careful with her Danny. She could be working for someone. She could be out to get you."

"I don't think so. She had her chance last night. I was off guard once I saved her, and all she did was run."

Tucker shrugged. "Ghost attacks aren't exactly rare in this town. Maybe she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." He offered another idea, glancing around to be sure none of the other lunch tables were eavesdropping. "Whatever the case is, one things still clear—she needs help."

"I know. And if I don't find a way to help her, no one will." Danny muttered, propping his elbow on the table and holding his chin in his hand. It was no secret he had a hero complex, and usually felt responsible for most things that took place in Amity Park.

Sam and Tucker knew this would be no exception—even if it might not completely revolve around ghosts.

"We'll figure something out, Danny. We always do." Sam offered, smiling at him. "Besides, you've dealt with _much _worse. Compared to everything else, this is simple."

The halfa sighed, but the corners of his lips turned up. "Yeah, you guys are right. In the meantime, we should find a way to keep an eye on her, and since she's terrified of Danny Phantom, it looks like Fenton and friends are going to befriend the new girl in town."

"Sweet." Tucker nearly sang, pulling out breath spray and squirting a bit into his mouth. "I could woo her, and then she'll be dying to—"

"We wanna draw her in, not scare her away." Sam quipped, eliciting a scowl from Tucker as Danny chuckled.

Soon, the lunch bell rang, calling the students back to class. The trio got up together, conversation moving onto the shadow and wonderings about why it had been around without Johnny. It really was a strange thing, and though they discussed it all the way to—and through— class, they came up with no theories.

Sharing the burden of this knowledge with his friends made Danny feel less pressured, which was good, because if they were going to get to know Stray, he couldn't be all tense and weird. She was just a normal girl—weird ghostly draw or not—and he would help her the same way he helped everyone else in Amity Park.

Him, Sam and Tucker would figure this out together. They always did. And that meant he was free to lighten up.

* * *

Soon, the last bell of the day rang through Casper High halls, and kids grabbed their things, quickly and excitedly making their way out the front entrance to the school. It was Friday, and since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was on Monday, it was a three day weekend.

Most of the students were too wrapped up in discussing their plans, they completely missed the girl sitting cross-legged on the lawn of the school, propped against the trunk of one of the trees. Her eyes were closed, and she was leaned slightly to the left, curtain of tangled auburn hair cascading over her shoulder as she slept.

Stray hadn't been able to help falling asleep. Waking up to a blanket and pillow that hadn't been there the night before mere hours after she'd had an encounter with two ghosts was unnerving, and because of that she'd been unable to get anymore rest. She'd been disappointed to find she'd barely gotten three hours of sleep, but had gotten up regardless, packing up her things and making her way out of the warehouse.

Despite the creepiness of it, she'd rolled up the items she'd woken up too and placed them in the corner. Just because she didn't know where they came from, didn't mean she was going to throw them out. They were harmless and helpful objects, and she couldn't afford to throw what little money she had away on things that could otherwise be free.

After purchasing a pack of batteries for her flashlight and buying a cheap breakfast, she'd made her way to the school. She'd remembered it had had a fairly large lawn, and had thought it would be a good place to rest. She'd let her mind wander after sitting herself under one of the trees, thinking about how little money she had left and what her next move should be. Before she'd thought up any solutions though, she'd fallen asleep, the long night of little sleep catching up to her.

She wasn't stirring, not even for the school bell. Or, she wasn't until a hand on her shoulder had her jerking awake.

She started, sitting up straight in an instant and glancing around. She remembered where she was after a moment, and focused on the faces in front of her.

"Stray?" She recognized that voice.

"Danny?" The boy was knelt in front of her, retracting the hand that had been shaking her shoulder. His blue eyes were full of confusion…and hers would be too, now that she thought about it. She was sleeping out in front of a school she didn't even attend.

Her eyes went to Sam and Tucker, standing behind Danny and looking down at her with quirked brows.

"What are you doing out here?" She looked back at Danny, still crouched in front of her with his hands on his knees.

"Uh…sleeping, apparently." Stray muttered, rubbing one eye with a fist and uncrossing her legs, bending her knees and leaning back against the tree. Now that she knew who it was who had woken her up, she could relax again. "What's up?" She mumbled, a bit groggily, trying to act nonchalant despite the circumstance.

"I'm pretty sure we're the ones who ask you that." Danny responded, offering her a hand up. Stray was too tired to protest, and simply took it, dealing with the contact. He pulled her up easily, her bag swinging against her hip.

Danny made sure she was steady before letting go, and she dusted her pants off before glancing up at them.

"Guess school's out, huh?"

* * *

**A/N: Bit of an abrupt ending. Sorry about that. I just wanted to get this out since it's taken so long. School's been picking up hardcore lately, so updates may be sparse. **


End file.
